| Type |
Abbreviation |
Explanation |
| praenomen |
IMP |
Imperator-during the republic, a victorious general,
-during the empire a title meaning emperor-see titles |
| cognomen |
C or CAES |
Caesar - inherited cognomen of the Julian family, indicting patrician origin.From the death of Caligula it was used by members of the Claudian family but with Hadrian the title was restricted to the emperor and his designated successor. |
| cognomen |
A, AV, AVG |
Augustus - honorary title conferred on Augustus in 27 BC, adopted by successive emperors as cognomen and after Marcus Aurelius, also used by members of the imperial family. |
| title |
P.M., PONT.MAX. |
Pontifex Maximus - supreme leader in religious matters |
| title |
TRIB.P, POT, PT + numeral |
Tribunica Potestate, Tribuniciae Potestatis- supreme civil control |
| title |
IM, IMP, IMPER (numeral) |
Imperator 'an acclamation'. Upon assumption of power, the princeps was given the title Imperator. For every military victory he was in sequence, Imperator II, etc. The abbreviation is found at the beginning of titles from Augustus to Tiberius; from the time of Claudius it follows TRIB.P. After Caracalla the title is seldom used. |
| title |
COS (numeral) |
Consul; After Caesar and Augustus had assumed the consulship, it was up to the princeps to decide whether he would assume that role or allow a member of the senatorial rank to hold it. The election occurred at various times prior to the year of office thus a consul designate might have the inscription COS.DESIGN. + the numeral one greater than that of his last consulship. It too various in position with IMP and TRIB.P |
| title |
CEN, CENS, CES |
Censor - title held only by Claudius, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. |
| title |
P.P |
Pater Patriae - a title conferred upon Cicero, Caesar and Augustus. It was simply an honorific with no official power. It is usually found at the beginning or end of lists of titles. |
| title |
PROCOS, PROC |
a title given when the emperor is out of the country |
